Carole Radziwill Mourns Dennis Shields, Releases Statement

But the former Bravo star still chimed in this evening in response to a major loss for someone within this family.

We're talking, of course, about Dennis Shields.

The 51-year old, known well to The Real Housewives of New York City viewers as the on-again/off-again boyfriend of Bethenny Frankel, was found dead on Friday morning.

According to a number of outlets, Shields appeared to have overdosed on prescription pills, with various sources saying he actually asked his assistant to give him a dose of Narcan around 9 a.m. on Friday because he knew something was amiss.

Narcan is a drug that is used to combat the effects of an opioid overdose.

Sadly, the request came too late.

Shields fell unconscious and was pronounced dead a short time later.

An autopsy is pending, but it is believed that Shields overdosed on oxycodone.

“I have decided to return to what I do best: journalism and producing."

Many fans of this franchise believe that Radzwill was either forced out by producers due to her feud with Frankel or left due to this rivalry.

Either way, things between Carole and Bethenny have been contentious for a long time now.

But an awful event such as this pushes all of that tension to the side. It puts things into perspective.

Frankel and Shields starting dating in 2016, about 30 years after they first met.

The two stayed in touch over all those decades, eventually getting together at Shields separated from his wife and Frankel divorced Jason Hoppy.

The romance was up and down and was often chronicled on The Real Housewives of New York City.

On the August 8 installment of this series, Frankel confided in Dorinda Medley, saying she needed a break:

“I didn’t say it to Dennis, but in my own mind, I said, ’90 days. I’m not saying a word to Dennis for 90 days.’ It’s a really hard thing to realize that someone you love, it doesn’t mean they’re the right person,

"And I wish he was.”

Shields was still technically married to his estranged wife Jill at the time of his death.

This is what she said soon after the news became public:

“We are all heartbroken. Dennis was, and will always be, the love of my life. His spirit lives on in our children. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

The NYPD, meanwhile, has confirmed hat “police responded to a 911 call of an aided male inside of 721 5th Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered the unconscious male at the location. E